Thank you, Ike Eisenhower

[neadods]

Down and safe in Chicago, at the con hotel a day before the convention's earliest event. There were folks who'd take me in if I asked, but after the drive and before the con, it's a bit nice to have some time to spread out and be alone.

Notes from the road:
Fact: You can go on the Super 8 website and enter your route and it will list all the hotels along that route.

Additional fact: Youngstown Ohio is a little over 5 hours from work, making it a good not-quite-halfway stopping point. Also, that Super 8 is much cheaper than the ones near Pittsburgh or Cleveland.

Fact: The Youngstown Super 8 is sandwiched between a huge 24-hour truck stop and a strip joint.

Additional fact: The woman at the Comfort Inn said that a lot of people mentioned the previous fact when they showed up to check in.


Things I am not used to hearing my GPS unit say: "Stay on this route for 236 miles. Then take exit to the left. Stay on that route 197 miles."


I have eaten in Germany; had one of the best meals of my life there. German food is nothing like "Dutch" food; Das Dutchman Essenhaus essentially served me gravy on potatoes and white bread with a little turkey and a side of bread rolls.


Because tomorrow is Thanksgiving, I'll take the opportunity to say: Thank you, Ike Eisenhower. I'm sure at the time people bitched and moaned that you were a socialist (or, considering your influences, a Nazi) and that the government both shouldn't and couldn't create an effective road system, just as I'm sure people bitched that painting lines on the road was creating a nanny state and coddling people who couldn't learn how to properly drive, so thank you, Dr. June McCarroll for not taking "no" (or "shut up") for an answer and making a fuss until California painted lines and lanes and the rest of the world realized what a good idea that was.

Thank you both, from someone who just used the ability to drive quickly and safely across five states.

Comments

[msp-hacker.livejournal.com]

I cannot imagine driving on a multi-lane highway with no lines.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

You can't. Assuming an alternate history where Ike built the highways before the line laws were passed, even having the tarmac in place wouldn't be enough. The roads simply couldn't handle the volume they do if there wasn't a way of tidying up and directing the traffic.

There's a spot where the highway's being redone (when isn't it?) and new lines were painted over the old, which were still visible. Although there were no obstructions, I noticed that everyone slowed down significantly while they figured out where the lanes actually were, then sped up again as they sorted it out.

[jennetj.livejournal.com]

Glad you made it safely. See you tomorrow!

[tacnukesoul.livejournal.com]

I ground some gears there - I've heard him referred to as Eisenhower, or "Ike," but never both together.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Sorry to grind your gears - I mostly did it to see who knew who I was talking about and why. I figured if he didn't mind being called Ike, he wouldn't have put it on his campaign buttons.

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

Glad to hear you arrived safely! Enjoy the Con and happy Thanksgiving!

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Thank you and thank you! Have a great day yourself!

[teenygozer.livejournal.com]

Ha, ha! Down and Safe, indeed! ::points to icon:: My husband uses that expression when he's on a trip and calls me on the phone to let me know he got there.

Sounds like "Dutch" cookin' is full of high-carby goodness.

I often wonder if people "back then" were as bull-headedly determined to be complete asses -- an awful lot of what we're seeing today is being managed backstage by big corporations. And Ike was the guy who said, "Beware the military industrial complex!", essentially warning us of the big businesses that would soon be running our lives and writing our laws.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I use "down and safe" all the time, which is slightly ironic because B7 is a fandom that didn't "take" with me. I'm told by a B7 fan that it originally came from the military (as did GPS units).

Sounds like "Dutch" cookin' is full of high-carby goodness.

It was lovely, and I let my head stop whirling by looking at all the little quilt and bakery shops attached to this huge restaurant. But I didn't see a thing like it in actual Germany anywhere!

Beware the military industrial complex

Heh. Ike sold the highways as essential to security, with the backing of the automobile industry, which foresaw the ability to travel for pleasure. Thing is... IMO, they were both right for once.

[bentleywg.livejournal.com]

Any chance for a meal (or something) together this weekend? I'm not *at* CT, but it's not that far from here. (I meant to ask earlier, but it got away from me. Sorry.)

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I'm not entirely sure - the way the con's booked, I doubt I'll be much in restaurants myself - I'm planning a lot of carryout from Bocca di Beppo.

[wiliqueen.livejournal.com]

Glad you're here safe -- see you tomorrow!

[fabricdragon.livejournal.com]

PA Dutch cooking is not anything like "German" cooking.......except....
dumplings and noodles (or something like dumplings and noodles) were a staple of the diet in the region of Germany most of them were from.

also apple butter is not common among any of the surrounding regions, but was commonly used in germany (in some regions) they also served sausages that are closer to German than anything else.... and sauerkraut, and things cooked in it.

Saffron is rare in most areas, and expensive.. but the Pa Dutch at least grow it themselves, (it grows well here) so they got in the habit of using it in everything..... thats a big difference.

[penfold-x.livejournal.com]

One of the principal reasons for building the interstate highway system was to move troops and military equipment quickly across the country. So, it would probably be more like "Thanks, Ike, for resisting all the people who called you a fascist or right-wing extremist for allegedly militarizing the road system. And for ignoring those environmentalists who claim driving leads to the end of civilization."

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Troops, military equipment, and IIRC, airplanes. Isn't there a rule that every x miles there has to be a straight stretch that can be used as an emergency landing strip?

The roads do move troops. And they were very badly needed because we do need to get from A to B quickly, for security against attack and to rush in case of natural emergency (Katrina et al.)